Anchorage early election results show voters approving all propositions except bathroom, cemetery bonds

Preliminary results in the Anchorage city election show two bonds failing — for public restrooms and cemeteries — while the seven other bonds and propositions, including the school district bond, are passing.

Proposition 8, the $5 million area-wide bond for adding 10 public restrooms around the municipality, was on track to fail with 61% of voters against it in the most recent vote count posted Wednesday evening. Proposition 7, a $4.1 million bond for creating two new cemeteries in Girdwood and Eagle River, was failing with about 56% of voters against it.

Voters were approving the seven other bonds with decent margins, including bonds for capital improvements of city parks, roads and storm drainage, and public safety and transit.

• The Anchorage School District’s $62.3 million capital improvements bond was passing with a 4-point margin. The bond package, Proposition 1, includes $19 million for replacing Inlet View Elementary School in South Addition, and about $43 million for security and seismic improvements and roof replacements at several other schools.

In the city’s 2022 election, a $111 million school bond that included $31 million for Inlet View’s replacement narrowly failed.

• Voters were approving Proposition 2, a ballot measure to change city charter in order to require the Anchorage Assembly’s confirmation of the Health Department’s chief medical officer. The measure had 56% of the vote.

• Proposition 3, a $47.1 million bond for Anchorage roads and storm drainage improvements, received 65% approval. The package includes $5 million for a snow disposal site in West Anchorage, $1 million for snow removal equipment, $4 million in upgrades to lighting and signals downtown, and many millions more for numerous road resurfacing and improvement projects.

• Proposition 4, a $4.4 million bond for Anchorage Parks and Recreation capital improvements, had 58% approval. The bond is for projects at 13 different parks and trail areas in the Anchorage Bowl.

• Proposition 5, a $1.5 million public safety (police) bond, had 59% approval. The funding is for reconstructing the roof and renovating the heating system at the Anchorage Police Department’s Elmore Station.

• Proposition 6, a $4.6 million public safety and transit capital improvements bond for projects including traffic calming, signals and signs, school zone safety and bus stops, received 61% approval.

• Proposition 9, a $4 million bond to improve access to Chugach State Park at a popular hiking area on the south side of Flattop Mountain, had 56% in yes votes.

Election officials expect to post updated preliminary election results on Thursday and Friday around 6:30 p.m.

As of Wednesday evening, election officials had tallied 52,661 ballots, representing 22% of registered voters.

It’s not yet clear exactly how many ballots are outstanding. Thousands more ballots are likely to arrive by mail in the coming days.

Results won’t be final until certification of the regular election on April 23.